Spinning and twisting machine



Jan. 30, 1945. y F M, RODDY 2,368,379

SPINNING AND TWI'STING MACHINE Filed Aug, 17, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR *BY m50 M. @000V Jan. 30, l F M RODDY v SPINNING AND TWISTINGMACHINE Filed Aug. 17, 1942 3 sheets-sheet z INVENTOR FRED M. /PODDV ZATToEY Jan. 30, A1945- F M RQDDY 2,368,379 SPINNING AND TwIsTING MACHINEFiled Aug. I7, 1942 s sheets-sheet s INVENToR FRED M. RODDV PatentedJan. 30, 1945 f 2,368,379 SPINNING AND TWIs'rING MACHINE Fred M. Roddy,Providence, R. I., assignor to H & B American Machine Company, a4corporation of- Maine Application August 17,1942',seria1 No. 455,06074Claims.

This invention relates generally to text-ile apparatus and particularlyto improvements inthe driving system for the yarn feedingand draftingmechanisms of spinning, twisting and like machines.

One object of the invention is to provide a selfcontained compact unitassembly of gears forming a driving system by whichpower is transmittedfor operatingthe feeding and drafting elements of machines of thisclass, and in which the arrangement of parts is such that-the unit canbe readily attached to one'encl of suchmachine.

Another object of the invention is the vprovision of e. driving systemincorporating the change gears controlling the twist on lboth sides ofthe machine in which the arrangement is such that it can be handled asafully assembled unitary structure and at the same time will afford awide degree of flexibility in thatit 'is adaptable to produce a 'widerange of front roll speeds.

Another object of the invention` is to provide low tooth speed and auniform tooth -speed regardless of the amountof twist that is beinginserted in the yarn. ,l

Another object of the invention is the provision of independent twist onboth sides of. the machine, and at the same time topermit reversibilityof twist whereby either right or left hand twist can be readily andsimply eiected.

Another object of -the-invention is the provision of a gear drive unitof the above character whereinall gearsare mounted'on ball bearings andthe number of saidfball bearings and associated studs in the gearingsystem arel reduced to face of the swing arm which carries the two idlergears; Y

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the bottom face of the other swing arm;r

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail View of anupper n corner portion of theunit mount showing the 'driving arrangement for one of the change gears;

and

Fig. 8 is a verticalv sectiontaken on the line y 8-8 of Fig. 7. y

In conventional machines of this class the driving system for the frontrolls of the yarn feeding. and drafting mechanisms at both sides of themachine usually comprises a [considerable number of large diametergearsA arranged in a f train between 'a pinion gear on. the main driveshaft and the' front draft rolls. .These large 1ntermediate gears aremade with plain shaft bear- .ed on swing arms and the change gears arekeyed .to the salme stud shaft to which is fixed a jack gear whichmeshes with the common driving pinion on the main drive shaft.,V

In such former machines this earlier form of driving system for theactuation' of. the feeding and drafting mechanisms has 'worked outsatisfactorily only because the gear speeds' were usually. slow and themachines were operating less .continuously than is required under modernoperating conditions.l

In the operation of present machines the spin dle speed and also thespeed of the front draft rolls have been increased greatly in the lastdec- Fig. 2 is a front elevationvof my improved unit mount having theswingarmsimounted 'thereon but with all gears. ball bearings and studsomitted;

Fig. 3 is a transverse ysection taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fi-g. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showingthe bottom vadeover what hadhitherto been the accepted practice, and the continuous operation ofsuch machineshas been much unore prevalent than in the past and broughtabout by the increased production demands under the modern practice.

Under ythe yconditions of increased speed .and pro? Vduction the variousgears employed to drive the vfront rollsv wear out rather quickly andconseflllelltly require frequent replacement. The older gears and thegear train driving mechanism therefor are arranged on and carried by lacommonmount which is so constructed and arranged as to VprovideV acompact unitary assemblyv of gearing for mounting at one end of themachine.

This unit mount comprises a bracket having two swing arms which carrythe gearing for transmitting power from a common drive pinion to the twochange gears. The swing arms are movable about a common pivot on thebracket and are arranged for independent movement into differentadjusted positions thereon. One of the swing arms .carries two carrieror idler gears and kthe other vswing arm carries one carrier or lidlergear, the said carrier or idler gears being driven by apositively-driven pinion on a drive shaft coaxial with the pivotal axisof said swing arms and power is transmitted to the change gears by therespective carrier gears that .mesh there,-

with. The same twist is produced -on both sides of the machine byemploying change gears of the same number of teeth. If independent twistis desired on each side of the machine change gears having a diiferentnumber of teeth will be used. `Interchanging the positions of the twoswing that drives the carrier gears of the 'gear trains is chain driven.from a sprocket wheel Vwhich is mounted on the main drive shaft forAthe machine. I'he use of chains provideswide iiexibility of drive ofthe various mechanisms and aifords a wide range of location of the frontArolls and y:

the main driving shaft. The wide latitude in change ygear sizes enablesthe yadvantage of wide range of possible twis't,

Referring to the drawings .in'detaiL and particularly to Fig. .1, thereisshown elements of a Atwister .frame comprising the head end framemember II) having 'box sides, the stationary rails II' Awhich supportthe spindles I2, I2', the vertically reciprocable ring rails I3, I3'which carry the rings and their travelers, and the bottom front drawingrolls I4, I4 which deliver the yarn to the spindles I2, l2' .for thetwisting and packaging operations, all of which parts may be of theusual construction or arrangement em- .plOyed in such machines.

Upon the outer ends of the bottom front'rolls I4, lI4' disposed withinthe confines `of the head end frame member I0, are fixed sprocket-wheelsI5, I5 which .by sprocket chains I6, I6', of the silent type, areconnected to and driven vby sprocket wheels I1, I1' removably mounted onjack shafts I8, |8.. As illustrated in Fig, 8, the jack shafts I8, i8'are rotatably supported at their inner end portions .in suitable ballbearings I8 housed within triangular-shaped brackets 20,' 2 0', whichare bolted to suitable lands formed at the upper corners of the mount orbracket 25 on which all the twist gearing mechanism is mounted forproviding a unitary-gearing assembly for mounting onthe head end framemember of the machine.

Upon the jack shafts I8, I 8' are removably mounted the .change gears2|, 2| which are driven .by the gearing mechanism that will behereinafter described in detail. Shoes 22, 22'

lpivoted .to the Vouter ends ofthe curved arms 23,

bottom front drawing rolls I4, I4' consists of the unit mount or bracket25 which, as above mentioned, is attached to the head end framel y:andterminate at the bottom edges of the depending legs 29, 29' Winch formthe lower part of the arcuate apron section 21. The legs 29, 28' aresymmetrically disposed on the apron sectionf21 and have flat opposedside faces which terminate fat' their inner ends in a semicircularopening concentric with the arcuate apron section and provide arelatively deep vertical slot extending upwardly from the bottom of theapron section when itis mounted in place on the machine.

shown in Figs. 3 and 4, vthe pinion 40 is keyed to the outer end of astud shaft 4| mounted in ball bearings 42 disposed within thecylindrical vbore 43 of the bearing member 3|. The stud shaft 4| extendsthrough Ythe bearing member' 3| into the hollow rear portion of thearcuate section 21 and upon the inner end of the shaft 4| within thecircularly curved cavity` of the arcuate section 21 Ais fixed asprocketwheel 45 which by a sprocket chain -46 of the -silent type is connectedto one of the sprockets Aof a double sprocket wheel 41 keyed tothe outerend of Athe main drive shaft for the machine. Power is transmitted fromthe main shaft 48 and thedouble sprocket 41 by means of the chain 49 andthe sprocket wheel 50 to the shaft 5I which shaft serves to drive thetraverse operating mechanism of :the machine. of various kinds are incommon use in spinning and twisting machines of this class, and as thetraversing mechanism forms no part of my present invention I have notdeemed it necessary to illustrate or describe the same in detail.

The chain 46 is engaged by an idler sprocket 52 which is loosely.rotatable -on a slide arm 53 adjustably secured to the end frame |I| bya, bolt 54 passing through a slot 54 in the arm 53. The idler sprocket52 engages the slack side of the chain 46, and said sprocket is adjustedto take up the slack therein by loosening the `bolt `54 and then slidingthe arm 53 relative to said bolt until the sprocket has pushed all slackout of the chain after which the slide arm and the sprocket aremaintained in their adjusted positions by tightening the bolt 54 torigidly Secure the arm to the end frame member Il).

`As shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, the swing arm 34 carries thecarrier gear 3B which meshes with the driving pinion 40 and the changegear 2|, while the swing arm 35 carries the intermediate orcarrier-gears 31 and 38 which have meshing engagement with each otherand form a gear train in which the inner gear 31 meshes with the drivepinion 40 and the outer gear 38 meshes with the change gear 2 lTraversing mechanisms 2l,eee,379 "I'Ihe carrier gears 36, y3`| and 38arerotatably The change gears 2| and 2|', as above mentioned, areremovably mounted on the outer end of the jack shafts '|8 and I8', andone or both gears may be removed and replaced by a'gearA of i lo larger;or smaller size carrying the properfnunrber of teeth. to provide thedesired twist per inch in the yarn. Also, the speed ratio between thelow' er front rolls I4, I4' and the jack shafts |8, jI8' respectivelymay be changed by removing and replacing the sprockets I1 and II' byeither larger or smaller sprockets. y l When it is desired to make lachange inthe hand of the twist, i, e. from right to left hand and viceversa, the positions of the swing arms 34 and 35 are exchanged which isaccomplishedv by loosening clamping bolts 65 and 66 from the T-headednuts 61 and 68 disposed within the arcuate slot 28, by which the swingarms 34 and 35 are securely clamped in position on the apron 21, andthen swinging the free swing arms around the hub 3U to take positions onthe other side of.

the hub 30 with the idler gears 36 and 38 in mesh with thechange gears2|" and 2| respectively.

It will thus be seen that by the described mounting o-f all of the twistgearing in a compact unit assembly on the head end of the machine andthe flexible connection off the sprocket wheels I5, I5' and I1 by thesprocket chains I6, I6' respectively the advantage of flexibility oflocation of the fro-nt drawing rolls |4, I4 will be secured Whilemaintaining an extremelywide range of possible twist per inc-h dependingupon the size of the change gears 2|, 2| employed. f

In accordance with the present construction, advantage is gained in thatthe tooth speedjof the gear system is .always the same regardless of thesize of the change gears that are used. The advantages of reversibilityof twist and l.also independent twist are accomplished with fewer studsand gears as well as smaller gears than-has to my knowledge beenaccomplished before. These advantages are important since ball bearingsand their mountings are expensive. Other advantages are: low toothspeeds atalltimes regardless of the size of the change gears employed;quiet operation and longer life of gears because of the said low toothspeed; increased life of, the unit as ya whole because of the use of-bal1 beardriving wheel being connected to and driven by one of thechange gears and the driven wheel be' ing connected to the front roll tobe driven; and a demountable support -for said driven change gears andtheir driving gearingfproviding. a unit assembly therefor attached tosaid end frame.

2. In a `spinning or twisting machine, the combination with an end frameand front rolls mounted on opposite sides thereof, of a driving systemfor the front rolls comprising a mainV drivingv pinion, means foractuating said` driving pinion, two change gears to be driven, gearinging mountings-'for all gears; thereduction off the numberl olf studsandgears to a minimum; econ- 'omy in manufacturing the unit becauseoisaid reduction in the number of studs and gearsgand because or thereduced ldiameters of, the gears; and also reduced manufacturing costand other obvious advantages due to the fact that the, assembly isconstructed asa single self-contained unit. -v v I claim:

1. Ina spinning or twisting frame, the combination with an end frame andfront drawing rolls mounted on opposite sides thereof, ofadrivingsvstemI for the fro-ntrolls comprising a main driving pinion;means for actuating said driving pinion; two change gears tobe driven;gearing actuated by said drivingpinion and adapted to actuate saidchange gears; a flexible drive-,be-

-tween each of said change gears and the lfront rolls`to be driven, saidflexible drives each vcomprising a'driving wheel, a driven wheel and a'exible connection between said wheels, the said actuated by said drivingpinion and adapted to vactua'te said change gears, a chain gear drivebetween eachV oi saidvchange gears and thefront rolls to be' driven, thesaid chaink gear drives each comprising a chain and two sprockets one ofwhich is adapted toy be actuated by thechange gear associated therewith`and the other sprocket being connected to the front roll tobe driven,and a demountable support for said driven change gears and their drivinggearing providing a unit assembly therefor attached to said end frame.

3. In a spinning or twisting machine, the combination with an end frameand front rolls mounted on opposite sides thereof, of a driving systemfor the front rolls comprising a main driving pinion, means foractuatingsaid driving pinion,.two detachable 'change gears to be driven,two swing arms each adapted to be independently adjusted about a commonaxis, a carrier gear on onel of said arms meshing with said main drivingpinion and one of said change gears, a gear train'on the other swing armone of the terminal gears of said train meshing with said main drivingpinion and the other `terminal gear of said train meshing with thesecond change gear, va

ated .by the change gear associated therewith andv the other sprocketbeing connected to the front roll to be driven, anda demountable supportfor said swing arms, said driven change gears and their driving gearingproviding'a unit assembly therefor attached to said end frame. l

4. In a spinning or twisting machine, the combination with an end frameand front rolls .mounted on opposite sides thereof, of a driving system-for the front rolls comprising a main driving pinion, a driven sprocketadapted to ac.- tuate said main driving pinion, means for actuating saiddriven sprocket, two driven shafts, a detachable change gear on each ofsaid shafts for driving the same, two swing arms each adapted to beindependently adjusted about a common axis, a carrier gear on one ofsaid swing arms meshing with said main driving pinion and rone of 'saidchange gears, a carrier gear train Ion the other swing arm one of theterminal gears of lsaid train meshing with said main driving pinion andthe other terminalgear of said train meshing with the change gear tov bedriven by said train, means for locking said swing arms in theirrespective adjustedv positions to maintain the gearing thereon in.operativerelation with the change gears to be driven, a chain drivebetween each of said change gears and the front rolls to be driven, thesaid chain gear drives Ashafts yand the change gears providinga unit as-Sembly attached to said end frame.

5. In a spinning or twisting machine, the combination with an end frameand front rolls mounted on opposite sides thereof, of a driving systemfor the front rolls comprising a main driving pinion, means' foractuating said driving pinion, two driven shafts, a detachable changegear on each of said shafts for driving the same, two swing arms eachadapted to be independently swung about the axis of said main drivingpinion into adjusted positions, a carrier gear on one rof said swingarms meshing with said main driv. ing pinion and one of said changegears, a carrier gear train on the other swing arm one of the terminalgears of said train meshing with said main driving pinion and the otherterminal gear of said train meshing with the second change gear, meansfor locking said swing arms in their respective adjusted positions toymaintain the gearing thereon in operative relation with the change gearsto be driven, a chain drive b etween each of said change gears and thefront rolls to be driven, the said chain gear drives each comprising achain and two sprockets one of which is adapted to be actuatedby thechange gear associated therewith and the other sprocket being connectedto the front roll to be driven, and a mount supporting said swing arms,driven shafts andthe change gears providing a unit assembly mounted onsaid end frame.

6, In a spinning or twisting machine, the combination with an end frameand front rolls mounted on opposite sides thereof, of a driving systemfor the front rolls comprising a main driving pinion, means foractuating said driving pinion, two driven shafts, a detachable changegear on each of said shafts for driving the same, two swing arms eachadapted to be swung about the axis of said main driving pinion vintoadjusted positions, a carrier gear on one of said swing arms meshing.with said main driving pinion and one of said change gears, a carrierlgear train on the other swing arm one of the terminal gears of saidtrain Ymeshing with said main driving pinion and the other terminal gearof said train meshing-with the second change gear, said swing arms beingcapable of movement from one side of the pivot to the other to connectthe gearing carried by said arms with the change gears whereby thepositions of said swing arms may be interchanged so as to permit theactuation of the change gears by the gearing on either swing arm, meansfor locking said swing arms 'in their respective positionsto maintainthe gearing thereon in operative relation with the change gears to bedriven, a chain drive between each of said change gears and the frontrolls to be driven, the said chain gear drives each comprising a chainand two sprockets one of which is adapted to be actuated by the changegear associated therewith and the other sprocket being connected to thefront roll to be driven, and a mount supporting said swing arms, .drivenshafts and the change gears providing a unit assembly mounted on saidend frame.

' 7. In a twisting machine, the combination of a stub shaft, means fordriving said shaft, a pinion on said s'tubshaft and driven thereby, twodriven shafts, chain drive wheels carried by said driven shafts'and,driven thereby, change gears removably mounted on said driven shafts,gearing'intermediate each said changegear and said pinion Afor drivingsaid change gears and the chain drive wheels, vand mounting means forsaid intermediate gearing comprising vseparate swing Aarms independently'adjustable about Athelaxi's of said stub shaft, together with meansforlocking said .swing arms in their respective .adjusted positions.

8. In a twisting machine, the combination of a stub shaft, a sprocketwheel for driving said shaft carried at one end thereof, a pinion .onthe other end of said shaft and driven thereby, two driven shafts,sprocket wheels on and driven by said driven shafts, change gearsremovably mounted on said driven shafts, gearing intermediate each saidchange gear and said pinion for driving said change gears, drivenshafts-and .sprocket wheels, and a mount for said driven shafts andgearing comprising separate swing arms independently rotatable about theaxis .of said stub shaft and means for llocking each-'said swin'g arm,in its adjusted position about said axis. '9. Inan actuating mechanismfor spinning and' twisting' machines, a main driving pinion, means foractuating said driving pinion, two driven shafts, a detachable changegear on each of said i shafts for driving the same, two swing arms eachadapted 'to be adjusted about a common axis, a carrier gear on one ofsaid swing arms meshing with said main driving pinion and one of said'change gears, a carrier gear train on the other swing arm one of theterminal gears of said train meshing with said main driving pinion andthe other terminal gear of said train meshing with the change gear to beAdriven by said train, a mount supporting said main driving pinion,swing arms, driven shafts and the change gears providing a unit assemblyfor attaching to one end of the machine, and means for locking saidswing arms in their respective adjusted positions` on said mount withall of said gearing in operative relationship.

10. In an actuating mechanism for spinning about a common axis, acarrier gear on one of said swing arms meshing with said main drivingpinion and one of said change gears, two carrier gears on the otherswing arm one of which carrier gears meshing with said main drive ingpinion and the second carrier gearmeshf ing with the other change gearAto be driven, a mount supporting said main driving pinion, swing arms,driven shafts and the' change gears providing a unit assembly forattaching to one end' of the machine, and means for locking said swingarms in -their respective adjusted positions osaid mount with all ofsaid gearing in operative relationship.

l1. In an actuating mechanism for spinning and twisting machines, a maindriving pinion, means Afor actuating said driving pinion, two drivenshafts, a detachable change gear on each of said shafts for drivingthesame, twoswing arms each adapted to beswung .about .the axis of saidmaindrivingpinion intoadjustd po'sie tions, -a carrier gear on one ofsaid swing arms meshing rwith said main driving pinion andv'one of saidchange gears, a carrier -gear train on the other swing arm one oftheterminalg'ears of said train meshing withsaidmain driving pinion and theother terminal gear of said train meshing with the change gear to bedrivenby said train, a mount supporting said main drive ing pinion,swing arms,` driven shaftsa-nd .the change gears providing a Aunitassembly for y ate taching to one end of the machine, and means forlocking said swing arms in their respective adjusted positions on saidmountl with all of said gearing in operative relationship.

12. In an actuating mechanism for spinning and twisting machines, a maindriving pinion, means vfor actuating said driving pinion, two drivenshafts, a detachable change gear on each of said shafts for driving thesame, two swing ing carried by said arms with the change gears wherebythe positions of said swing arms may be interchanged so'as to permit theactuation of the change gears by the gearing on either swing arm, amountsuplporting said main driving pinion, swing arms, driven shafts andthe change gears providing a unit assembly for attaching to one end ofthe machine, and means for locking said swing arms in their respective,adjusted positions on said mount with all of said gearing in operativerelationship.

13. In `an actuating mechanism for spinning and twisting machines, -asupport, two driven shafts, anti-friction bearings rotatably mountingsaid shafts on said support, a sleeve-like bearing housing aXed to saidsupport, a drive shaft, anti-friction bearings rotatably mounting saiddrive shaft within said bearing housing, a driving pinion on the outerend of said drive shaft, two swing arms movably mounted upon the outercylindrical portion of said bearing housing, each of said swing armsbeing capable of being swung about said bearing housinginto adjustedpositions on said suspport, a carrier gear on one` of said swing armsmeshing with said driving pinion and one of said change gears, twocarrier gears on the other swing arm one of which carrier gears meshingwith said driving pinionv and the second carrier gear meshing with theother change gear to be driven, anti-friction `bearings rotatablymounting said carrier gears on studs fixed` c to the respective swingarms, and means for locking said swing arms in their respective adjustedpositions relative to said support with all of said gearing in operativerelationship, said support providing a unit assembly of all of the abovemechanism for attaching to one end o-f the `machine. f

14. An actuating mechanism for spinning and twisting machines comprisinga support formed with'an upper plate-like portion and a lower hollowraised arcuate portion, the front face of said arcuate portion beingformed with an arcuate T-slot concentric with the circularly curvedperimeter of said arcuate portion, a sleevelike bearing member affixedto said lower arcuate portion and co-axial therewith, a stub shaftjournaled in said bearing member, a driving pinion on the outer end ofsaid shaft, la gear on the inner end of said shaft within the hollowinterior of said arcuate portion for actuating said stub shaft, twodriven shafts rotatably mounted in said upper portion of said support, adetachable change gear on each of said shafts for driving the same, twoswing arms movably mounted upon the outerycylindrical portion of saidbearing member, each of said swing arms being capable of being swungabout said bearing member into adjusted positions on said support, acarrier gear on one of said swing arms meshing with said driving pinionand one of said change with an upper plate-like portion and a lowerhollow raised arcuate portion, the front face of said arcuate portionbeing formed with an arcuate T-slot concentric with the circularlycurved Aperl imeter of said arcuate portion, a sleeve-like bearingmember ai'lixed to said lower arcuate portion land co-axial therewith, astub shaft, anti-friction bearings rotatably mountingsaid shaft in saidbearing member, a driving pinion on the outer end of said shaft, a gearon the inner end of said shaft within the hollow interior of saidarcuate portion for actuating said shaft, two driven shafts,anti-friction bearings rotatably mounting said driven shafts in saidupper portion of said support, a detachable change gear on each of saiddriven shafts for driving theI same, two swing arms movably mounted uponthe outer cylindrical portion of said bearing member, each of said swingarms being capable of being swung about said bearing member intoadjusted positions on said support, a carrier gear on one of said swingarms meshing with said main driving pinion and one of said change gears,two

carrier gears on the other swing arm one of said carrier gears meshingwith said driving pinion and the second carrier gear meshing with theother change gear Vto be driven, anti-fric.- tion bearings rotatablymounting said carrier gears on studs fixed to the respective `swingarms, and means coacting with said T-slot for releas- Y ably securlngsaid swing arms in their respective

